Weapons of War
by Avianis
Summary: Alicia and Beth. Two of the Organization's most powerful warriors, and the most depressing warriors in the series.  Semi-accurate AU covering the holes in their highly underrated lives pre-Lautrec and slightly beyond their untimely manga death.
1. Chapter 1: The Zemas

Author's Note:

I do not own the Claymore series, nor do I own any of the Claymores, nor do I own Alicia or Beth (Although I wish I do).

This is... my first fanfiction, and if the writing is rather bad, I apologize in advance. I am here to share and learn, so please be patient with me.

* * *

><p>Click. Click. Click.<p>

The sound of metal greaves tapping on stone pavement was loud to his ears, and seemingly a violation of the quiet unease that hung around him like a wet blanket.

"The townsfolk are wary." He spoke to no one in particular. If anything, only the keen ears of his escorts picked it up. "And one can only wonder why."

His escorts remained wordless, and the trio walked in stoic silence, through the town that had been bustling with activity a mere two minutes ago.

"Too long." He whispered. "Too long."

A great many calamities had befallen the land, casting a dark gloominess over its inhabitants, and more so himself.

_Orphan though she was, she was, in a sense, my child._ A strange feeling overcame him as he once again saw her face, that calm emotionless faint smile that forever refused to leave her lips. Over the years, she had become his strong right arm, a weapon against evil, a sharp lance that stood poised to slash apart the darkness and strike at its pulsating heart.

A smile that, to him, was as unchanging as the times.

"It's here." He tapped his shades further up the bridge of his narrow nose, and took a right off the road, onto a cobblestone passage. Flowers lined the sprawling gardens, a mix of roses and lavenders that interspersed with each other to create sea-wave patterns. He couldn't help but smile slightly at the connotations.

Red roses. Purple lavenders.

"Just like that day."

"Yes?" The small voice of one of his escorts echoed in his ears, and he realized that he had spoken too loudly.

"Nothing." He replied, and returned to his thoughts.

_Just like that day..._

He could recall it as if it had occurred mere moments ago, when he visited the skirmish grounds. The red blood of his warriors splashed across the barren sand and rock, a sacrifice paid for a tragic fault his superiors and peers had made. The fallen bodies of soldiers, graceful even in violent death, their pale skin and silver hair marred with the bright crimson of life.

_How the strong have fallen._ Purple blood sprayed across the site, a monstrous vandalism of an otherwise pristine tableau. _The strong, the fast, and the powerful. _He studied the three corpses that splayed out before him. _Could we have made so monumental a mistake?_

And on that day, when that faint smile finally faded, the times had changed.

The door opened before he had traversed half of the garden path, and a woman hurried out, looking worn and haggard. Mid-thirties, he surmised, most likely the woman of the house.

"May I help you?" She asked, and none too courteously, he noted.

Instead of answering, he took his time, slowly covering the last remaining meters until he stood before her. Behind the anonymity of his shades, he allowed himself the perverse pleasure of watching her discomfort grow.

After all, one was never comfortable in the presence of two Claymores and a man from the Organization.

The Organization. One whisper of that word would send chills down the spine of all whom heard it. The shadowy defender of people, a dark guardian against an even darker threat that ravaged the land.

A powerful institute that even now was on the brink of ruin.

_We have lost Numbers One through Five._ The cold voice rose from the depths of his memory. _And none of our remaining numbers are worthy enough of the positions._

_With the destruction of our highest tier warriors, the Organization has lost most of its combat power in a single stroke, leaving us vulnerable to a direct attack by any of our enemies._

_In the face of this danger, and in the light of our past errors, we must strive for progress, and abandon all that we have assumed in the past._

_Starting with her._

_I have a task for you, Orsay._

"I am from the Organization." He began, and the woman seemed to shrink back upon herself. "And I have orders to take your two newborn twins."

"Yes, that is right." He confirmed, when he saw the shock register on her face. _All has to be abandoned in the face of progress._

_I may never see that faint smile again, but I pray that with this one terrible separation, no human shall ever have to bear such intolerable suffering as I._

"The Organization has need of Alicia and Beth."


	2. Chapter 2: Monsters and Machines

Author's Note: Second chapter in a short series. As the chapter below hints at, I intend to explore the relevance of ethics in Claymore. The writing is still not up to par, but I hope that further continuation would improve it. Please do not hesitate to point out errors.

* * *

><p>Organization HQ<p>

Staff

"So, Rimuto, tell me once again why we are embarking on this undertaking?" Orsay stood before the Organization's council, watching as each member studied the twins by his side.

Barely a year old, the baby girls were being cradled by the two Claymores whom had accompanied him on his trip. They had dark brown hair and eyes, hair and eyes that Orsay knew would soon be stripped away, replaced by gleaming uniform silver.

"We have long tried the Soul Link procedure with Luciela and Rafaela, with... certain consequences." He raised his left hand in a dramatic gesture, implying the devastation that the Organization had suffered when that experiment failed. "Are we so prepared to rush headlong into this endeavor? Let us not forget that our numbers One through Five, the bulwark of our Organization, have so recently perished, leaving us severely understrength."

"Four." Rubel replied softly, and the stony faces of his council members turned to face him. "Numbers One to Four. I have taken the... liberty of promoting Rafaela to number Five. She would provide a certain measure of security against such a catastrophic possibility."

"Rafaela? To Five?" Ermita frowned. "But wouldn't her previous experience..."

"Rafaela has the strength to contain this experiment, and, if necessary, terminate it." Rimuto spoke, silencing the rest of the members. "In addition, I will be promoting Galatea to number Three, and Ophelia to number Four. The two have shown enough potential and power to take Sophia and Noel's places."

No one replied. No one argued with Rimuto. Amongst the entire council, Rimuto had served the longest, earning his place as the senior leader of the Organization. Even Daae, leader of the retrieval squad, knew better than to question Rimuto's authority.

"And to reply your question, Orsay." Those pale eyes drilled into his, striking deep into the very core of his being. "Alicia and Beth are a step ahead of Luciela and Rafaela. The two are _twins_, and hence share a special bond rarer than even between sisters."

"Do not think me so headstrong as to repeat our previous mistakes, Orsay." The voice was calm, but Orsay, even a few meters away, could sense the underlying rage, a carefully-controlled sea of anger concealed under placid waters. "We shall use the same yoma flesh for the two, and train them solely in the art of combat. Neither of them shall be allowed to develop any skills other than what is required to destroy the enemy."

"Crushing their personalities." Orsay concluded. "When have we ever become so..."

"Heartless?" Rubel smiled, and the shades moved slightly. "As Rimuto has mentioned, we do learn from our mistakes. Do recall that if your _precious_ Teresa had not killed off a dozen worthless bandits, we would not have been forced to completely decimate our upper ranks on her. Furthermore, unless you have not received the report, understand that had Teresa not spared Priscilla's life in that instant, we would not be facing this catastrophe."

"Emotions were at fault for that terrible, terrible misadventure." Daae drawled, and Orsay clenched his fists beneath his black cloak. _They dared to insult his Teresa? _But he was one against many, and if he said the wrong words, he could find himself in a disadvantageous position for some time to come.

"But still, surely we do not have to resort to such extreme measures, do we?" _Let me have a shot at reasoning..._

"You still do not recognize it, do you, Orsay?" Rimuto's voice ended his feeble protests like a mighty hammer of God. "With Alicia and Beth, we have decided to create a weapons system, not a Claymore."

"A Claymore is half human, half yoma. Their human side rages to keep the monster within them in check, eventually weakening them and rendering them torn between a dilemma, reducing their combat effectiveness."

"With Alicia and Beth, we aim to instill a series of codes within them, logic gates to guide the yoma side. Precious youki and willpower would not be wasted beating back the monstrous side of them, but rather guide it. Since they lack all human understanding and emotions, they will not be able to understand needs such as hunger and sexual arousal, as is common with Awakening."

"Rather, by teaching them an entirely new series of words with different meaning, we will induce a paradox shift that reverberates even to the yoma side within, forcing that illiterate monster to understand the world in an entirely different context."

"In short." Rimuto concluded with an air of arrogance that Orsay found extremely irritating. "Whilst Claymores are humans whom use their youki as weapons against the yoma, Alicia and Beth would be _machines_, with their youki a generator to power their abilities."

"Enlightening, as always." Rubel praised, but Orsay lacked the same enthusiasm the rest shared. _At least, with Teresa, power was guided by ethics. Wasn't that our goal in the first place? How far we have deviated from our true path..._

Looking at baby Alicia and Beth, whom once would have been Alicia and Beth Zema, he felt sickened. _Those two, so oblivious to the world, so innocent, would forever remain the same. How many more would have to be sacrificed for the greater good?_

And as Alicia chuckled, Orsay had to turn away, for he found that he could no longer view them as children, but something more inhumane.

Something monstrous.


	3. Chapter 3: Trial by Fire pt1

Author's Note: This is the third installment in the series, and is the first of two parts. Rather than skipping directly to the events of 'Witch's Maw' or 'Cognates of Paradise', I chose to dwell fleetingly on their training segment, since this was not made known in the storyline, and since other Claymores like Rafaela had displayed intimate knowledge of Alicia and Beth's capabilities.

Enough nonsense from me. Read, hopefully enjoy, and forgive me once again for any bad writing.

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><p>Organization HQ<p>

Staff

Seventeen Years Later

Orsay entered the testing chamber, hidden deep within the bowels of HQ's sprawling lair, with tension visible on his face and the hand of death clutching at his heart.

_The moment of truth._ He found himself repeating that thought over and over. _Today, seventeen years will pay off._

Rimuto was already present, seated comfortably on his cushioned chair, a single Claymore standing behind him. His face was the very image of peace, a carefully-constructed facade which belied his nervousness.

Behind him, for all her power, Claymore No. 5 looked on into the chamber with a slight measure of agitation. The patch of scarred flesh that had once been her left eye had healed nicely from that time, Orsay noted. _It must be terrible, for her to witness the same act a second time._

"Ah, Orsay." Rimuto turned to him, all-too-willing, it seemed, to take his eyes off the two Claymores in the test chamber. "I trust the necessary precautions have been taken?"

"Rafaela is behind you and not me." Orsay deadpanned back, then glanced out of the door which he had entered from. "I have arranged for every single Claymore awaiting their rank reception to wait outside. Should anything disastrous happen, they would initiate damage control measures."

Rimuto gave a weak smile. "Heh, you have changed in the past few decades, Orsay. You speak like a true soldier."

The Organization handler shrugged ever-so-slightly. "It comes from training soldiers, Rimuto. You might want to try it one day."

"And soldiers they are." His senior stared back out into the chamber. "They have not moved even an iota in the last fifteen minutes. Even amongst Claymores, this is unusual."

Following Rimuto's gaze, Orsay took in the sight of Alicia and Beth at the center of the testing chamber. _How they have grown, _he marvelled.

The twins had come a long way from their burbling, cheerful infancy, growing into tall, beautiful women. Both sported long hair with fringes that differed only slightly, and only for ease of identification. The gleaming white Claymore armor that they wore was as yet unadorned with rank symbols, but Orsay had no doubt they would earn those soon.

_The most powerful monsters in Claymore history stand before us now, _he realized. _Indeed, this is a landmark moment in the Organization's history. _It was hard to think of them as women now, after the rigorous, crushing training that he had, with no small measure of reluctance, imposed on the duo. Even the mighty Teresa of the Faint Smile had not undergone such... _torture._

"Without my direct command, the engaging of combat mode, barring a threat to their existence, they will make no move." Came his simple answer. "They do not even talk to each other at all."

Rimuto never once took his eyes off the two ethereal beauties standing still in the center of the chamber. "They just might." He mused. "In a way that only twins can."

* * *

><p>"Alicia, prepare Soul Link."<p>

_Aural circuit register voice command. Unit Orsay has issued an order: Target Alicia Initiate Soul Link._

_Self-check. Powerplant: Online. Senses: Online. Weapons: Online. Soul Link Receiver Unit: Online. Initiating Connection with Soul Link Target Beth._

_Receiver Unit registers. Soul Link. Connection Established. Frequency Stabilizing._

_Frequency Stabilized. Soul Link Initiated. Order Resolved. Initiating Vocal Confirmation._

* * *

><p>"Soul Link Initiated."<p>

Orsay turned to Rimuto, then raised one eyebrow. "If you want to stop, Rimuto, now is the time."

_Please, stop this madness,_ was what he actually wished to say. Although both Alicia and Beth had been trained solely for the purpose of aligning their yoki and Awakening, this would be the first time that an _actual_ Awakening would be carried out. Experienced though he was with the twins, Orsay couldn't help but be reminded of a baptism of fire. Should something of this magnitude go horribly awry, the consequences could be beyond his worst nightmares.

On Rimuto's part, the cloaked man was not without his own doubts. A close shave with death many years ago still etched itself indelibly in his memory. _And that was a minor Awakening under stricter controls than this._ A small chill ran down his spine, a lasting effect from when Luciela's tail slammed into the ground barely two feet from where he was standing. _And this is Alicia at full power._

_Nonetheless, _he reminded himself, _sacrifices are crucial to progress, and no goals are achieved without risks._

Glancing at Rafaela behind him, he saw the visibly disconcerted Claymore shuffling slightly from one foot to the other. _No matter how this turns out, am I willing to take this big a risk?_

The Organization's senior leader closed his eyes, then took a deep breath. "No, carry on."

* * *

><p>"Alicia, initiate Awakening."<p>

_Aural circuit register voice command. Unit Orsay has issued an order: Target Alicia Initiate Awakening._

_Self-check. All systems nominal. Powerplant overcharging. Awakening Sequence 10%_

_Core temperature increase. Coolant Flush. Energy banks online._

* * *

><p>The air around Alicia seemed to rend and tear, energies flowing out of the Organization's Number One in a whirlpool of screaming wind. In the viewing chamber, protected by a thick layer of hardened glass and metal mesh, Rafaela instinctively reached for her blade, then realized that the overwhelming yoki before her was in essence only a mere ten percent of Alicia's total reserve.<p>

"Such monstrous power..." She faltered.

* * *

><p><em>Awakening Sequence 30%. Core temperature exceeding operational limits. Shutdown sequence activated. Shutdown overridden. Awakening Sequence resumed. <em>

_Awakening Sequence 75%. System stress registered, exceeding operational safety limit. Accessing Soul Link Component. Soul Link Transmitting. Data transmission 25%._

* * *

><p>"She's past her limit!" Rafaela shouted, drawing her claymore, only to have Rimuto stay her with one hand. "Be quiet, Rafaela. This was all taken into consideration."<p>

In the test chamber, the Claymore that was Alicia hunched over, and began to change.

Her hair straightened, seemed to flatten out, and folded together into huge metallic blades, extending out to either side of her head like a crown of swords. Long arms folded back on themselves, massive blades rippled out in the form of dual moonblades. Gleaming silver armor shredded, metal shrieking as Alicia completed her transformation. A raw, _primal_ howl shredded the air, sending triple sonic booms reverberating around the chamber.

* * *

><p><em>Awakening Sequence 100%. Soul Link data transmission status: Complete. Remote control initiated from Unit Beth. Run self-check. Updating silhouette recognition databank. Confirming primary directives.<em>

_Primary Directives confirmed. Unit Alicia Awakening complete. All systems nominal._

_Order Resolved. Initiating Vocal Confirmation._

* * *

><p>Rimuto stared in amazement as the Claymore... No, the Abyssal One, Alicia, turned to face the viewing chamber. "Reporting: Awakening complete, no anomalies detected. Objective complete."<p>

"Rafaela." He whispered. "What do you detect?"

The Claymore was almost terrified, her breathing sharp on the intake, her face flushed. "Alicia is... A monster." She gripped the hilt of her blade, prepared to use it at any point in time.

"Does her power rival that of an Abyssal One?" He pressed.

"I cannot tell from just one look." The Organization's Number 5 replied softly. "I..."

"What?" He turned to face her, and noticed that Rafaela wasn't just on the verge of terror.

She was somewhere in between petrification and a complete breakdown.

"Something's wrong." She gasped, and the expression on her face was enough to drive a stake of fear through Rimuto's own heart.

* * *

><p><em>Anomaly Detected. Unit Beth reports Soul Link system stress beyond normal parameters. Activating backup powerbanks. Increasing power to Soul Link. Measure ineffective. Unit Beth system efficiency decreasing. Soul Link containment field failure. Awakening control 82%. Danger. Initializing Vocal Warning.<em>

* * *

><p>"Alert." Alicia's voice was grated, something deep and truly terrible. Glass windows in the side of the test chamber shattered rather than echo the hellish sound. "Soul Link control loss detected. Safety protocol ineffective. Core breach imminent."<p>

"Beth is losing control!" Orsay warned. "Rimuto, get out of here!"

"What is happening?" Even without a fine-tuned yoki detection ability, Rimuto could still sense the massive wave of clammy unease washing over Staff. He had no doubt that Galatea, currently in her quarters, was having a heart attack of epic proportions.

"Beth cannot handle Alicia's massive yoki power." His junior handler frowned, signaling towards the door for what he hoped would be timely intervention. "Alicia is far too powerful. The Soul Link is failing."

"Stop, Alicia!" Rimuto shouted, even as the wall of the testing chamber exploded inwards, and dozens of unranked Claymore poured into the chamber, swords drawn. "Bring her back, Beth!"

* * *

><p><em>Ground forces detected on current course. Bandits zero-nine-zero degrees, closure rate 152 knots. Weapons visible. Threat recognition system confirm hostile intentions. Accessing Primary Threat Directive. Threat to Unit Alicia and Beth confirmed.<em>

_Activating Attack Mode. Select primary armament. De-Select target Orsay. De-Select target Rimuto. Targeting closest threat Claymore._

_Engaging._

* * *

><p>Alicia moved, so quickly that she was just a blur to the naked eye, with such swiftness of acceleration that the ear-splitting boom of supersonic transition rang out as she whirled into motion. The closest Claymore to her simply disintegrated in a spray of blood, limbs flying every which way. Milliseconds later, another warrior was slashed to ribbons, flesh and bone torn apart under cold metal.<p>

"What are you waiting for, Rafaela?" Orsay yelled. "Stop her!"

_What was Rafaela doing?_ Rimuto turned to see the warrior frozen in place, claymore in hand, her one good eye wide open. "Move, Rafaela!"

_Not again._ It couldn't be happening again. Had she really returned from exile, only to witness this devastating moment once again? Three warriors were already dead, but the unearthly powerhouse refused to slow down, nor was her burgeoning yoki showing any signs of slowing down. _I... I can't face this again..._

And so, paralyzed by fear, Rafaela could only stand there, the monstrous bladed princess in her vision resembling Luciela more and more with each passing second.


	4. Chapter 4: Trial by Fire pt2

Author's Note: The second part of Trial by Fire, as Alicia and Beth's very first attempt at an actual Soul-Link Awakening goes horribly awry, putting the Organization in dire straits.

Do note that the italicized sentences related to Alicia are her personal thoughts, and are meant to portray her way of thinking and understanding the world around her.

Also do note that the inaccuracy (If you spotted it, it's kind of blatant) in this chapter will be explained at the end of the next one.

* * *

><p>Organization HQ<p>

Staff

_This is the end._

She stood there, the last and only line of defense between her masters and a rampaging force of nature. Blood covered both combatants. Her own blood drenched her once-white uniform, from the two deep cuts which she had barely avoided. The monster filling her vision was equally covered in blood.

The blood of her comrades, whom lay all around her, dying, if not already dead.

"No..." She whispered in disbelief. _There were forty-two of us outside, and even the strongest of us fell with a single stroke._ She glanced to Flora, the strongest of her group, whom was limp in a bloodied heap, her sword arm lying across the chamber, her body cut open by a single slash of that oversized blade. _She was just two days from receiving her rank..._

"I won't fail." She whispered, more to bolster her own crumbling courage than to intimidate the bladed apparition before her.

"I won't..."

* * *

><p>There came a crack of thunder as Alicia moved, and Rimuto flinched as the final unranked Claymore was sawn in half at the waist. Blood and internal organs spattered the walls crimson, the final testament to the unnamed warrior's brave, but ultimately futile, last stand.<p>

"Rafaela?" He dared not move even a muscle, lest the unstable Alicia saw it fit to end his miserable life here and now. Orsay, whom was by his side, had assured him that both Organization members were exempt from her targeting module, but with Soul Link teetering on the brink of failure, Rimuto placed little trust in that comforting piece of information. Rafaela, his strongest champion, was rooted to the ground by fear and the ghosts of her own experience, and he knew both Orsay and himself were in no position to reason with the mad Abyssal One barely three meters in front of them.

Alicia suddenly stopped, and her inhumane, bladed head turned towards the ruined wall to her left. Out of the corner of his vision, Rimuto saw three figures step through the destroyed chamber wall.

"Heh, an Awakened One." A braided warrior smirked, drawing her weapon. "And right under my own nose, here in Staff."

"Be careful, Ophelia." Her comrade to the right cautioned. Even by Claymore standards, she was considered beautiful, with long hair that could have rivaled Alicia's, and porcelain facial features that had stolen even Rimuto's breath when he first laid eyes on her. "Alicia's power is beyond ours now."

"All the better." The one named Ophelia was practically shivering with perverse excitement. "The strong ones always die slower."

"Master Rimuto, Orsay." The last member of the trio ignored the direct threat to her safety, walking towards the two Organization men. "You should evacuate the premises now."

"Don't move!" Orsay warned the unfortunate warrior, but it was far too late. Alicia, perceiving a threat to her masters, had already struck, her twinned blades sinking into her prey's shoulders and carving a channel of destruction through...

The Awakened One stopped, her fire-control systems unable to register the damage done to her target. As if to confuse her, the body of her victim disappeared from between her bladed arms.

Only to reappear behind her, claymore already drawn, eyes flashing a deep gold. As Orsay watched, Alicia efficiently turned to block the strike, then drove her other arm through her assailant's torso with incredible speed.

Once again, however, the impaled Claymore faded from her sight, landing gently beside her two comrades, seemingly unscathed by the vicious attacks.

_Phantom Miria._ The razor-shag silvery hair of the Organization's Number Six settled calmly on her shoulders as she regarded Alicia with something akin to distinct respect. She had evaded Alicia's attacks twice, Rimuto realized, with nary a hint of surprise. _Why should I be surprised?_ He reminded himself. _She is the fastest Claymore I have ever seen.  
><em>

"Let's go." Miria stated simply, and vanished into thin air, closing range with Alicia as the Organization's Number One roared in defiance. Ophelia stretched her neck, and her own eyes flashed gold with yoki release. "This shall be fun." The Number Four strode towards her foe, and Rimuto frowned as her huge claymore began to vibrate, forming a massive ripple effect that spread a low hum through the air. The last Claymore, however, refused to release her yoki, simply drawing her blade and following Ophelia into combat.

_Target Miria Yoki Release 25%. Skill 'Phantom Mirage' active, engaging Unit Alicia. Unit Alicia matching speed, overcharging core reactor._ The bladed terror spun as Miria slipped past her forward blade attack, flanking to her left and taking a swing at her unprotected flank. With a swiftness that dazzled even the agile Claymore, Alicia twisted her head, letting the massive bladed extensions that were her hair block the claymore strike. Completing the spin, she backhanded Miria with an arm, but the Phantom No.6 had already shifted position, putting some distance between the massive arm-blade and herself.

Ophelia screamed in with the force of a mighty glacier, her rippling blade meeting Alicia's and screeching against metal. Sparks flew from Alicia's right shoulder, and red blood sprayed seconds later, Ophelia's Rippler finding its mark under the Awakened's guard. With a burst of speed, Alicia disengaged from the clash, only to have her left leg give way unwillingly, forcing her into a kneeling position.

"Heheh!" The smirk was all the warning she had before Ophelia descended upon her. Instinctively, the unstable warrior raised one bladed appendage to block, but the arm shifted to cover a different sector. The result was instantaneous.

Ophelia's blade bit into the soft flesh of Alicia's chest, and the Awakened warrior screamed, a chilling shriek so powerful it blasted the Number Four backwards with a visible shockwave.

_Self-check. port-side chest sector damage. redirecting power to repair. Artemis Fire-Control 100% accuracy. Deflection error origin tracking. _She looked up at the last warrior, whom was still flanking to her left, seemingly calm and at ease. _External yoki hacking, datalink spliced, combat effectiveness compromised. Activating jamming._

"And with that, she has shut me out." Orsay blinked as the third warrior closed her eyes, shaking her head. "What have you created just yet?"

"What did you just say, Galatea?" Rimuto asked. _God-Eye Galatea. The Organization's Number Three, and a yoki specialist, foiled by Alicia?_

The angelic Claymore gave a slight smile. "Like I said, she has jammed my attempt to manipulate her. That massive amount of yoki was hard enough to manipulate, and now it is frequency-agile. Unless I can decipher her frequency-jumping pattern, it is highly unlikely that I will be able to toy with her movements."

Rimuto had hardly begun to understand the ramifications behind Alicia's almost-instantaneous jamming of Galatea's yoki manipulation, when the latter stepped aside calmly, letting a wounded Ophelia shoot backwards into the wall of the viewing chamber, her left arm severed at the elbow. "Having fun?" She shot at the braided Claymore, even as a sharp scream rang out.

Alicia stepped backwards from Miria as the warrior sank to her knees, her hands pressed to the gaping hole in her stomach where the Awakened One had blasted a chunk of sheer yoki energy through. As she turned to face Galatea, the Organization members noted that her right arm had changed form into a massive barrel, and that thick black smoke was rising from its mouth. "She is far over her limit." Galatea serenely informed them. "_That_ is far beyond even an Abyssal One's power. It is a wonder the Soul Link is still working."

_It had to come to this._ Rimuto resigned himself slowly, sadly, to the fact that he might not survive this encounter. Thus far, Beth was miraculously holding her own against her sister's maddening onslaught, but the Number Two was on her knees, clutching at her temple with an agonized expression, and Rimuto wondered how long she could endure the strain.

_It is just like before._ Still frozen in place, with her body refusing to grant her control, Rafaela's mind was panicking. The other sister, Beth, could not hold out for long, she knew. _I know how it feels._

_Not being able to save the one you love, helpless and weak as you feel that bond erode all too quickly, the part of her that was human slipping away from your fingertips. Like sand through clenched fists, the more you try to save it, the faster it vanishes._

_How could it have come to this? Could they have been so naïve as to thrust such great power upon two eighteen-year-old girls? No matter what the conditioning, they are still _human_..._

"Now what, God-Eye?" Orsay asked, and the Claymore gave him that angelic smile again. "Now, I have to fight her alone." She replied sweetly. "And in this tasking, I will most likely fail."

"No." With a swish of her blade, the one final Claymore strong enough to stop even a force of terror strode past Rimuto to place herself between him and the threat.

"You are not alone, Galatea." Rafaela turned to her comrade, one whom she barely knew, but whom she hoped would survive long enough to get to know better.

That same comrade now regarded her with a hint of disbelief. "You do realize that this is futile? Nothing that we can do will ever scratch her..."

"I do not intend to kill her." Rafaela cut her fellow warrior off. Frowning slightly, Galatea traced the older warrior's line of sight, and understood Rafaela's intentions.

"Distract her for me, God-Eye, and I will pull her back from the abyss."


	5. Chapter 5: From the Brink

Author's Note: The conclusion of Alicia's unstable preliminary Awakening. To preempt certain reviews, I have covered some inaccuracies at the footnote after the chapter.

R&R

* * *

><p>Organization HQ<p>

Staff

_Warning: Complete System Failure Imminent._

She gripped her silvery-white hair with sweaty palms as the system failure message pounded her into oblivion, pain flooding her body, unbearable strain wrenching at her mind, threatening to rip her apart. _Soul Link Critical: Status 24%. Unit Alicia control degradation: Critical, Combat Control Unit losing power._

A fresh wave of agony shot up through her spine, exploding into what little remained of her conscience with terrible force. _Unit Alicia Power Spike 5750%, exceeding maximum operational limit. Unable to match power output. Core reactor failure imminent._

And as her twinned sister released even more yoki, exceeding that which the most powerful of awakened ones could hope to ever reach, Beth threw her head back, gasping for a deep breath.

And screamed long and hard.

* * *

><p>"My, this is hard." Rafaela snarled as she twirled out of Alicia's dance of death. "You should really do what you are supposed to do, you know."<p>

"Shut up, Galatea." _If only I can get to her, but her sister is protecting her. _Keeping her yoki power barely suppressed, The Organization's Number Five dodged under Alicia's systematic slices, deflecting two blows in quick succession, then slipped between her legs, rolled and broke away. Wordlessly, the terrifying bladed visage whirled around, but Galatea slid in to block her strikes. "Get moving, Rafaela. I will occupy her from now on."

"Understood, Number Three." As the sounds of metal screeching against metal scratched at her ears, Rafaela sprinted to the other warrior, whom by now was on all fours, perspiration streaming down her delicate cheeks, sloughing off her chin in a near-constant stream of precipitation.

"Beth!" Someone was attempting to initiate contact with her. Her vision had long failed due to power shortage, but audio recognition identified the speaker.

"Identified: Rafaela..." Beth's light voice was strained, on the verge of breaking. "Organization... Number Five..."

"Shut up, Beth, and listen." Rafaela tilted the warrior backwards, and noted that her breathing was ragged, her eyes were closed and her mouth was hanging open when she wasn't talking. _This is bad._

"Listen, Beth, you have pull Alicia back." The enigmatic twin shook her head slightly, then struggled to form words. "Request... Impossible. Condition Red. System Failure..."

_No._ She had not come this far, lost her sister, left the Organization, taken up her claymore again, and battled an Abyssal One to fail. _No, no, no! No!_

"Shut up, Beth. Don't talk. Just pull her back." In her arms, the weakened Beth looked so fragile, so weary of holding her sister back. _Why is she talking like that?_ Rafaela wondered, before Orsay's words from not long ago came back to her with the blunt force of a hammer, and with twice the trauma.

_Alicia and Beth are specially trained and honed to synchronize yokis. They have no knowledge, no concept, of anything else._

_They are machines, with no emotions or personality of their own, existing only to carry out orders._

_Like hell! _She cursed. _Even creatures have emotions. Even the most inhuman of beasts, the Awakened Ones, have emotions._ Beth moaned in despair, and Rafaela could feel the Number Two's body heating up beneath her as her yoki struggled to contain her sister's. In the throes of suffering, Beth seemed strangely human, strangely...

Strangely like herself.

On impulse, overwhelmed by a strange grief, Rafaela held Beth close to herself, embracing the other warrior, as if to join her in her fight. "I have gone through what you are going through now, Beth." She whispered into the young woman's ear. "I had failed, and thousands paid the price." The demonic roar of Luciela's rage echoed in her own mind, a memory from a time long gone by, existing only to haunt her, to taunt her of her failure.

"You are not alone in your fight, Beth." She encouraged. "I am here with you, here throughout your struggle, here even as you battle against the darkness, against the odds."

"I am here, Beth, and you will not fail. So please, Beth, dig deep within yourself. I know the Organization hasn't erased all that is _you, _all that is _truly you_. Find your emotion, Beth. Find the only thing strong enough to bring your sister back." Even as her mind crumbled under the sheer stress the Soul Link was exerting, those words touched something deep within her. Something long buried beneath all the gears, all the systems and protocol that had been beaten into her.

Something long-repressed came to life within her cold, logical heart. Something warm, something that gave her a strange feeling, a feeling akin to...

_What was that... Emotion?_

* * *

><p>"And even this is beyond my ability." Galatea spun and danced with the devil, completely on the defensive as Alicia hammered her relentlessly, slowly but surely breaking down her guard. <em>She is still jamming me, so no more lucky potshots.<em>

A carefully-calculated feint to her left leg, and Galatea fell for it, twirling her sword clockwise to parry. Too late, she saw Alicia's head turn to the left, her hair-blades swinging for Galatea's neck. Unable to dodge, unable to manipulate the strike, and with her claymore already swinging in the wrong direction, Galatea found herself out of options.

"Oops."

The ebony blade glanced off seemingly thin air mere inches from her face, so close that sparks showered her cheek, and the wind from the parry whipped her hair back. _Miria? Ophelia? Rafaela? _A surge of wild hope. _Beth?_

None of the above options, it seemed.

* * *

><p>An unranked Claymore stood between her and the Awakened nemesis, her armor shattered, her uniform stained with blood and her right arm on the hilt of her sheathed sword. <em>Who is that?<em>

Undeterred, Alicia went for the newcomer, a wild swing that was countered inches from her skin. Galatea, short on breath and shaken from her near-death experience, watched as her rescuer dueled ferociously.

She seemed to have a sphere of invulnerability, the God-Eye noted. Alicia's omni-directional attacks glinted off a shield that seemed to stop the blades just before they touched her. And all the while, her sword had not left its sheath.

_Or had it?_

Galatea looked closer and she could see the faint afterimages of a claymore whipping through the air, as well as sparks from the sheath as the blade was drawn and resheathed. _Clever._

A fast, almost instantaneous quick-draw technique, used to counter a single-target, single-attack cycle system much like the one Alicia was using. With each block, the newcomer could sheath her blade, reset her defense pattern, watch for Alicia's next attack vector, and quickly counter.

"Who is that Claymore?" Rimuto asked Orsay, as the Abyssal One beat her assailant across the chamber, forcing her to retreat but seemingly unable to land a blow. "Alicia cannot penetrate her guard."

A clang, and Alicia caught the blade between nooks and claw-like protrusions on both arms, before yanking it out of the grip of the stunned warrior. "Spoke too soon." Orsay allowed himself to chide his senior just this once.

The disarmed Claymore stood there, her shoulders heaving from exertion, her gold eye pupils covered with blood, semi-wavy platinum hair disheveled as she stared down Death itself in the eye. Even from across the chamber, Galatea, too far away to help, heard her tired voice.

"At least... I did my best..."

And Alicia's bladed arm rose and fell with lightning speed.

Only to clang off another huge claymore. The Awakened One's face twisted slightly, as if in surprise, or in shock.

Staying back her blade was her very own sister, Beth, whose eyes were now golden slits, whose veins were showing and whose body was slowly beginning to deform from excessive yoki usage.

"Did you not say the twins shared one mind?" Rimuto asked, and Orsay was temporarily stunned for words.

"Well.. y-yes, I did, and I suppose, but Beth could be merely taking things physical now that Soul Link is ineffective at stopping her sister."

"Did your protocol allow for that?"Again, that silent, awkward pause.

"No." He finally admitted.

"Then she cannot rescue her sister." Rimuto resigned. "It seems as if Alicia is doomed to awaken fully."

_Don't conclude so soon, you bastard. There are certain things that even procedure and protocol cannot fully override.._ Orsay cursed, but didn't dare voice his disagreement. In such a situation, the most he could do was watch.

And hope.

* * *

><p>"Turn back, Alicia, please." The only person whom would hear that exchange would be the unranked Claymore, standing just behind Beth, and till the day she was torn in half, the softness she felt in that voice would influence her in the way she talked to others. "Turn back, I beg you. Turn back."<p>

"Beth..." Alicia's voice was equally soft, unlike the powerful Abyssal one she had used during the fight. "I'm sorry..."

It didn't happen with a flash of light and a brilliant release of yoki. Instead, Alicia seemed to reverse her transformation, her hair-blades drooping and splitting apart until they were individual strands of silver-grey. Beth slowly straightened, feeling her twin's soul return to her body, the Soul Link now fully operational again as Alicia shut down her yoki.

_After so much training, after so many years..._

Her hard, metallic face gradually softened back to their regular features, and the metallic blades that were her arms retracted, replaced by pure milky-white skin and long, slender fingers.

_It is now that I have begun to initiate an understanding into the power of emotion..._

Her transformation back to human complete, Alicia stood there shakily, weakened, naked and exhausted, until Beth stepped forward, placed one hand on her sister's shoulder and touched foreheads.

_Welcome back, sister._

_Protocol must be adhered to, Beth._ Alicia corrected, but it seemed that a part of Beth herself had touched Alicia's psyche, and the slight unusual flare in her yoki showed. _But thank you._

"Damn." Galatea turned to see Ophelia staggering next to her, attempting to reattach her severed forearm. "She's gone and become a Claymore again. How sad. I was looking forward to killing her again."

Galatea noticed that Miria shot Ophelia a look of utter hatred, and couldn't resist making her own comment. "Really? From the looks of it, you probably didn't stand a chance at all."

And as Ophelia stormed away in a fit of anger, Galatea turned to Miria and gave a small, angelic smile.

* * *

><p>Watching from the sidelines, the two shadowy men of the Organization shared a look at each other.<p>

"It seems that the twin sister, Beth, could not hold Alicia's soul for an extended period of time." Rimuto began.

"Shall we call this a failure then?" Orsay was not the least bit sad to condemn this project and raise both sisters as normal Claymores. _At least then they would have even a remote shot at normalcy._

"Far from it." Rimuto dashed his faint hopes with three words. "At least Beth has proven herself able to recover Alicia. With continued training, we will increase her stamina, and hopefully even give her some mobility whilst holding Alicia's soul. Make sure to reinforce the protocol and coding, so as to ensure nothing like this happens again."

_Turn them more into machines than they are now? You. Sick. Bastard._ But of course Orsay couldn't say that, and so he faintly nodded. "As you wish, Rimuto."

And as his senior left the room, Orsay couldn't help but deliver a parting shot. "And Rimuto, about Alicia being doomed to Awaken..."

"Hmmm?"

"You spoke too soon again."

* * *

><p>And this ends the short segment covering their training. The next chapter would be in about a week, so I look forward to improving the current ones through reviews.<p>

I have now clearly linked Rafaela to the twins, as well as Miria, Galatea and Ophelia, as well as that one unranked Claymore whose name most should know.

There is an inaccuracy here, a diversion I needed to take from the original story. Galatea had never met Alicia until the events of 'Cognates of Paradise'. This diversion is regrettable, but required for future chapters.


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